As kimchi becomes more expensive in overseas markets due to local supply shortages this autumn, Chinese producers are well-positioned to capitalize on the situation.
Known for their high-quality and competitively priced products, Chinese kimchi has gained considerable popularity among overseas consumers, especially in South Korea. More than half of the South Korea's kimchi sourced from Qingdao City of east China's Shandong Province, with the county-level city Pingdu in Qingdao as a critical export hub.
To accommodate the surge in orders, processing facilities in Pingdu are ramping up operations. One company reports that its automated production lines are operating at full capacity, generating over 100 tons of kimchi daily, with more than 80 percent of that output earmarked for international markets.
"Since September, we have seen an explosive growth in orders. Orders from countries like South Korea, Thailand, and Singapore have surged, with South Korean orders making up 70 percent of our total volume. And export prices have risen compared to last year," said Li Ping, sales director of the food company.
The recent surge in kimchi prices can be attributed to a decrease in cabbage production, prompting Chinese companies to enhance their processing capabilities to fulfill the growing demand.
"This year, the supply of cabbage has been severely impacted by weather conditions, leading to difficulties in harvesting cabbage in many areas and challenges in planting winter storage cabbage, which has significantly reduced cabbage availability. Additionally, kimchi made from autumn and winter cabbage tends to be crunchier and sweeter. Taking all these factors into account, both kimchi prices and order volumes have increased compared to previous years," Li explained.
Currently, Qingdao is home to over 20 substantial kimchi processing enterprises. In the first eight months of this year, the city exported 173,000 tons of kimchi, marking an over 12 percent increase year on year. Expectations are high that this year's exports to South Korea will reach 300,000 tons.
Chinese kimchi producers ramp up output as overseas demand soars
The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) CEO China Forum 2026 will be held in Beijing on June 21, the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) announced on Friday.
The event will feature an opening ceremony and three seminars to review this year's key outcomes such as the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC) Statement on Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific (FTAAP) and the ABAC Statement on Connectivity, and prepare high-quality policy suggestions from the business community for the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting slated for November in south China's Shenzhen, the CCPIT said.
"The Asia-Pacific business community has released a joint statement on progress toward the FTAAP and called for an upgraded version of the APEC Connectivity Blueprint on the basis of the outcomes of the Beijing summit in 2014. This fully demonstrates the shared aspiration of the Asia-Pacific business community for stable and smooth industrial and supply chains, and for a universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization," said Yang Mi, director of CCPIT's general office.
The APEC forum will be closely followed by the 4th China International Supply Chain Expo, which is scheduled for June 22-26 in Beijing.
The expo will feature more than 60 business exchange activities, with foreign provinces serving as guests of honor for the first time, according to the CCPIT.
"At this year's supply chain expo, 48 percent of the foreign exhibitors will be from China's Belt and Road partner countries. During the exhibition, we will hold a Belt and Road trade and investment forum and a roundtable on international chamber of commerce cooperation for the New Land-Sea Trade Corridor. In addition, we will hold an exchange activity for exhibitors, a working meeting of the China International Supply Chain Expo Exhibitors Alliance, the BRICS Women's Leadership Forum, and other exchange activities," said Liu Jiannan, vice chairman of CCPIT.
The expo will also host country-specific promotion sessions, bilateral economic and trade activities, and cross-industry exchanges to facilitate the flow of the resources along industrial and supply chains, according to the CCPIT.
The Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes region of France and the Liguria region of Italy will be foreign guest provinces of honor, which will carry out promotion and exchange activities with Chinese guest provinces of honor, the CCPIT said.
As the world's first national-level exhibition focusing on supply chains, the China International Supply Chain Expo is an internationally shared public product.
First held in 2023, the expo has contributed to building more secure, stable, open and inclusive global industrial and supply chains, according to the CCPIT.
Beijing to host APEC CEO forum next month
Beijing to host APEC CEO forum next month
